Sailor Moon: Back to Square One
by Enigmatic Magus
Summary: A Paradox sends the Senshi Back in time.... FIC IS DEAD.
1. Prologue

Though there was little substance in the not-space in which it existed, the Gates of Time   
always seemed to be housed in an ethereal fogbank, as if to signify how cloudy the future can be,   
or how muddied the past is. Sailor Pluto'd grown used to this, however, and the symbolic   
atmosphere was ignored as she saw the future, doing what she could to prevent intervention with   
the flow of time.  
  
The few times she'd seen a paradox arise, she'd watched with grim humor as whoever   
messed with the mast eventually fixed the problem themselves. The few flaws, the wrinkles, that   
occasionally popped up often had a habit of being laid to rest, as well, and her involvement was   
never necessary in these small temporal glitches. However, coming up, as her future self had told   
her, was a bizarre branching of time. A new universe was being born, and Sailor Pluto was one of   
the few beings in the universe that could sit back and watch the divergence.  
  
Said divergence was based upon that rare instance where the probability of option a   
happening was just as high as that of option B, and that the probability for both was at an   
amazing 99.9 percent chance of happening. When this problem arises (and it rarely does) The   
Universe splits, and an almost perfect replica is created, though, with the change being made,   
things begin to differ rapidly.  
  
Pluto settled down, and from her vantage point, began to watch what might have been.   
Her counterpart flashed a quick smile to her before disappearing into the new Gates of Time, and   
arrived at a new Hikawa Shrine, where a certain group of young girls were wondering what the   
hell just happened.  
  
  
  
Kagato presents  
an Altaverse SM Fanfiction  
with Coca-Cola and Dominos Pizza  
Sailor Moon: Back to Square One  
  
  
  
The room full of senshi, currently in their civilian guises, seemed to shimmer for a   
moment. That was the only warning Ami had before everything began to change. Fortunately,   
she, as well as the other senshi, knew better than to ask questions, and were halfway   
transformed when the greater shift took place. This saved them from changing with the rest of the   
world, but left them in a rather odd predicament.   
  
When the transformations were complete, the Sailor Senshi looked around, wondering   
who or what had attacked. However, a cursory glance showed nothing out of place, at least to   
Sailor Mercury. Mars, however, looked around wide-eyed, her face slowly draining of color.  
  
"What just happened?" Sailor Jupiter asked, breaking the silence. Sailor Venus and   
Sailor Moon shrugged, watching Mars walk around, seemingly in awe. Mercury's computer   
beeped where it lay on the table, and she reached for it, hoping to find an answer to Jupiter (and   
the other's unspoken) question.   
  
Rei Hino, Sailor Mars, however, could already sense what was wrong. Subtle changes   
here and there, a missing stain, an older wall there...   
  
"Somehow..." she said, slowly, "Somehow we're in-"  
"-the past." Mercury finished, staring at her computer in growing shock.  
"We're where?" Venus asked, incredulously.  
"The past. About-" she trailed off, typing a little more into her computer, before continuing, "-a day   
before Jadeite's first youma attack on Juuban at the Osa-P."  
"That's close enough." A voice said from the corner. Venus Jupiter and Mercury whirled, while   
Mars slowly turned to look at the speaker. Where nobody had stood mere seconds ago, Pluto   
now occupied with a small smirk on her face.  
"Pluto! What happened?" Sailor Moon asked, finally speaking up. Pluto's grin grew a bit more,   
this time in amusement, as if she'd just heard a really funny joke that gets better as you hear it   
echo in your mind.   
  
"The universe faced a problem of unsolvable proportions, and it split to accommodate   
both possible outcomes." She answered, looking at the room with her steadily growing grin.  
"An alternate universe?" Sailor Mercury asked, understanding better than the others. "What   
happened?"  
"Well... "Pluto said, trailing off for a moment. The others leaned forward unconsciously as she   
appeared to trail off. "I'm not sure." The scouts face faulted as one, being caught by surprise.   
Mercury, climbing to her feet, grimaced slightly at how obvious what she'd been about to do had   
been. 'Oh well,' she mused. 'Hindsight is 20/20, as they say.'  
  
"What do you mean you're not sure? You're supposed to be able to watch everything that   
happens from here to eterni-" she was cut off by a beeping noise coming from her wrist. In fact,   
every communicator was going off, as someone had hit the "General Alert" call button. Flipping   
her communicator open, Mars was the first to answer the call. She was surprised to see Uranus,   
though, at the moment she was looking off screen, shock, fear, and suspicion all flashing across   
her face as she spoke with someone Mars assumed was Neptune or Saturn.   
  
"Something's wrong... where's the princess. We're under attack." Uranus said, once she   
realized her call had been answered.  
  
Pluto, flipping open her communicator, grinned at Uranus, as she spoke quickly "We're   
not under attack. However, this new problem will be difficult to explain, and I'd rather not have to   
do it twice. Come to Rei's temple, and I'll try to explain what I can." Uranus just frowned, then   
nodded. "Alright." she answered, reaching to turn her communicator off. Before she could, Pluto   
spoke up, rapidly. "Do not, under any circumstance, de-transform. You, Neptune or Saturn. If you   
do, the price we all pay could be quite severe." Uranus nodded once, looking a little shaken up,   
before ending the transmission. Pluto looked at the others, and spoke again, "That goes for you   
all as well. Do not de-transform, under any circumstance, until I've explained everything to you   
all."  
  
Mercury stared at Pluto, unsure how to react. Pluto wasn't totally mysterious, but she   
usually spoke a bit more enigmatically, when she chose to speak at all. Then, against her prior   
warning, she de-transformed. Setsuna Mieoh looked around, then turned to the others.   
  
"I'll be right back. Wait for me here." She said, before disappearing, as if she'd never   
been there. The Senshi look at each other questioningly, before staring off into space to   
contemplate what might be. Their musing, however, was interrupted by Sailor Moon.   
  
"If Pluto can de-transform, then we can, to! I'm tired, and hungry, and I want to go home."   
She said, walking to the door. "I'll be back after I find some ice cream." Then she de-transformed.  
  
A soft flash of light announced the standard de-transformation, but what followed was   
anything but standard. A breeze, soft, but steadily gaining in power, began to circle Usagi, and   
after a moment, a small light, like a firefly, drifted from Usagi's head into the small whirlwind,   
shortly followed by another, and another.  
  
Soon, instead of a swirl of wind, Usagi was being circled by a fast moving halo of soft   
lights. A final light exited Usagi's head, and suddenly, the circling lights gained in intensity and   
size, obscuring Usagi in a tube of light. A Steady whine, having begun at the appearance of the   
first light, but now growing painfully loud, was replaced by a roaring noise that ceased as the   
cylinder of luminescence collapsed in on itself, disappearing inside Usagi for a moment, before   
shooting upward, through the roof, and into the evening Sky. 


	2. Chapter 1

"That's..." Sailor Mars said, watching the stream of lights disappear  
into the night sky. Turning back to look at their leader, Sailor Mars  
gasped, along with the rest of the senshi, at what stood where she'd  
expected to see Usagi.  
  
Usagi stood a few centimeters shorter than before, and some of the baby  
fat she'd lost through the years had returned. Taking an awkward step  
back, Usagi's eyes grew wide as she stared at the other inner-Senshi,  
before she slumped to the floor.  
  
Rushing to help their fallen leader, age-regression instantly forgotten,  
the senshi surrounded Usagi, before gently carrying her to Rei's room,  
where she could comfortably recover. Filing outside to talk about what  
was going on without waking their leader, Sailor Jupiter almost walked  
into Uranus, the other two outers behind her.  
  
"Where's meatball head?" Uranus asked, glancing at the others. When  
nobody responded, she frowned, and asked a little louder.  
  
"Where's Sailor Moon?"  
  
"She didn't listen to my advice." Setsuna said, from within the shrine.  
Stepping out into the evening air, Uranus frowned, and Neptune asked  
quietly, "Will she be all right?"  
  
"Most likely, though it will be some time before she's..." Setsuna  
trailed off.  
  
"Before she's what?" Mercury asked, softly.  
  
"Before she gets used to everything again," Pluto responded, her voice  
now little more than a whisper.  
  
"What happened?" Sailor Saturn asked from behind the other outers.  
  
"There was a... problem, and to compensate, the universe split to avoid  
being destroyed."  
  
"That doesn't make much sense," Venus said, frowning.  
  
"How come you detransformed?" Neptune asked, suddenly.  
  
"I'm protected by my affiliation. You all might have noticed above  
average skills in whatever tasks revolve around your affiliation." The  
other's nodded, remembering, while Pluto continued with the earlier  
explanation. "Had I explained in detail, it would have made even less.  
Suffice to say, the 'other' universe is continuing on as planned, while  
this one took a different path."  
  
"So, we're back in time... back... " Mars frowned, then turned to look  
at Pluto, her gaze telling the Senshi of Time she wanted no half-truths  
in her answers. "Are we going to have to fight everyone again?"  
  
"I'm surprised you're really worried about it. At your level, the first  
challenge you're likely to face would be the Dead Moon Circus."  
  
"Are we... did we replace ourselves, or are there other.. Is there  
another Hotaru?" Saturn asked, quietly. The other senshi looked at her,  
worry written on a few faces, and sympathy on the others.  
  
"No... the splitting caused everyone to split as they were, so there is  
no other Hotaru, or Haruka, or Rei," Pluto stated. Saturn sighed softly,  
then looked up at Pluto again, fearfully.  
  
"If I detransform..." Pluto nodded, turning to the others.  
  
"Your transformations are keeping the regressions at bay... but I'm not  
sure how long you'll need to stay that way before you all can revert  
without... repercussions."  
  
"Umm..." Sailor Venus said, quietly, "My parents are still in  
England..."  
  
"I can probably take you there if you'd like, though with Usagi back to  
being as she was before becoming Sailor Moon, you might want to stick  
around."  
  
"Why's that?" Venus asked.  
  
"You were the leader of the Senshi during the Silver Millennium, Venus,"  
Mars said, wondering why the Senshi of Love was being so dense. Her  
unasked question was soon answered, though.  
  
"Oh... oh yeah. Sorry, I'm just thinking about Usagi.. and..."  
  
"D-point?" Jupiter asked, softly. When Venus simply nodded, Mars  
shuddered, looking at the ground, before turning to the others.  
  
"We'll have to patrol, again... Since Jadeite's going to start up again,  
soon."  
  
"Why?" Ami asked, confused.  
  
"Because we don't... we do!" Mars said, smiling as Mercury showed her  
the screen on the Mercury Computer. It displayed dates, times, who  
attacked, who was present, and what attacks worked best on what enemies  
during that encounter. Noticing Mercury's frown, Neptune asked what was  
wrong.  
  
"This list is pretty complete, but Sailor Moon had a few fights before I  
started recording them, and there were a few attacks that were  
diversions. It's a good list to schedule around, but it won't last."  
  
"Why not?" Uranus asked, reading over Mercury's shoulder.  
  
"After the first few times we arrive before them, they start changing  
their plans. At least, a smart enemy would." The other Senshi nodded,  
and Jupiter spoke up, cracking her knuckles.  
  
"I've got a solution to that."  
  
"Oh?" Uranus asked, quirking a brow.  
  
"First time Jadeite shows up, all of us attack him at once. He may have  
laughed off our attacks before, but I'd like to see how he handles a  
Jupiter Oak Evolution or two."  
  
"That would work, but we'd be unable to predict when or where Nephrite  
shows up. Or Zoicite and Kunzite, for that matter."  
  
"Well, there is one option..." Mars said, looking at Saturn.  
  
"What?" The Senshi of Destruction asked, guardedly.  
  
"We could Sailor Teleport to D-Point, and..." The other senshi were  
quiet as they thought about it.  
  
"It wouldn't matter if you did," a new voice called out from above.  
Turning to see who'd spoken, the Inner Senshi gasped when they saw  
Jadeite standing on the rooftop.  
  
"What do you mean, Jadeite! We're a lot stronger than you, now!" Mars  
said, preparing to jump at the Dark Kingdom General.  
  
"I beg to differ. You failed to kill me before, and just like you, I  
know... everything." The last word was said with a grin, as he floated  
up into the air to stare down at them.  
  
"But... how?" Minako asked, never having faced Jadeite with the others.  
  
"Beryl banished me to Eternal Sleep, as opposed to killing me. And in  
that state, I watched as you destroyed Beryl and Metallia, then the Doom  
Tree, the Deathbusters, The Dead Moon Circus and Galaxia."  
  
"So? How do you remember it all?" Ami asked, her computer scanning  
Jadeite, the numbers climbing steadily.  
  
"The same way you do. Magic can halt the temporal change, and unlike the  
other fools you faced, I didn't die to lose my memories."  
  
"So you're saying, anyone with sufficient magic and who isn't dead..."  
Makoto said, uneasily.  
  
"Oh don't worry, the Ayakashi Sisters you worked so hard to save are  
still their bitter selves in the far future."  
  
"But... " Saturn said, uneasily.  
  
"Yes, Souichi Tomoe and Daimon Germatos know all there is to know about  
their future history."  
  
"Papa.." Saturn said softly, leaning on the Silence Glaive heavily.  
  
"We beat them before, and now, without their Messiah, the Deathbusters  
aren't going anywhere!" Neptune shouted, wrapping an arm around Saturn  
protectively.  
  
"Yeah! And we beat Beryl and Metallia, too, so there's no chance one of  
her weaker minions like you could stand up to us!" Mars said hotly.  
Jadeite just grinned.  
  
"You all were killed by youma less powerful than any of Beryl's  
Generals, and it was Sailor Moon who defeated Beryl and Metallia, with  
the Ginzuishou... and I don't see Usagi Tsukino, so I'm assuming the  
little brat's suffered an... interesting regression in age and memory. A  
rather Debilitating blow to your team."  
  
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"  
"Space Sword Blaster!"  
  
The two attacks sped towards Jadeite, who smiled, and waited, before  
backhanding them away. His eyes narrowed, however, and he rubbed his  
wrist, surprised the attacks were powerful enough to be felt. When the  
other Senshi stepped back, surprised that he had taken two of their  
strongest attacks without much more than a sore wrist, he smiled.  
  
"Fool! All the energy that Beryl and her minions gave off was absorbed  
since my imprisonment. I control the power of Beryl, Metallia, Zoicite,  
Kunzite, and every youma that died at D-point!"  
  
"Silence Glaive... Surprise!" While Saturn mostly shouted her attack  
phrase like the others, she spoke softly, barely above a whisper, and  
leveled her Glaive at Jadeite, the blast that could decimate huge  
swathes of land tearing apart the molecules of atmosphere between her  
and Jadeite. Centimeters away from the empowered Dark Kingdom General,  
Jadeite disappeared, the attack passing through the space he'd been and  
continuing onward into the sky.  
  
"A nice try..." the disembodied voice said from all around them. "I  
think I'll issue you all a little handicap, while I build up an army...  
In addition to your lack of Sailor Moon, that is."  
  
Without warning, a rift in the air behind Pluto opened, and a black  
blast of energy shot out, catching the Senshi of time in the back before  
anyone had a chance to shout a warning. Sailor Pluto was flung forward,  
her back a smoking mess, down the stairs of the shrine, rolling to a  
stop on the sidewalk. It the amber glow of a nearby streetlight, blood  
began to trickle out from under her, and Sailors Saturn and Mercury  
rushed to her side.  
  
"Mercury..." Pluto said, coughing. flecks of blood splattered the Ice  
Senshi's blue-tinted visor, and Mercury paled. Gently turning Pluto on  
her side, Mercury stiffened upon seeing the damage.  
  
"Don't talk, save your strength." Saturn, not wanting to disrupt her  
anymore than possible, placed her hands over the wound, and began  
healing. She frowned as the wound healed much slower than usual.  
  
"Won't..." another cough, and Pluto reverted to Setsuna, " magic  
blocked."  
  
"Shh.." Mercury said, confirming this with her computer.  
  
"No time, going... two more hours...change back..." Setsuna relaxed, and  
Ami watched as her life-signs fell to near-death levels. The blood had  
stopped pouring from her back, but it still trickled from the larger  
injuries, and Mercury felt the faintest glimmer of hope as the wail of  
an ambulance drew near. 


End file.
